The Winter Corps, then officially known as the First Parahuman Corps, was founded in 1941, just as Operation Barbarossa was put into action and the full strength of the German Blitzkrieg was concentrated on Russia. The Winter Corps recruited every metahuman, sorcerer and paranormal being it could get its hands on, as the fighting in Stalingrad and on the Eastern Front grew ever more desperate, even with the Soviet Socialist Sorcerer Supreme fighting and the American lend-lease.

At Stalingrad, the Corps suffered its first major loss, as three of its Soviet Socialist Sorcerers were slain by the despicable German Ludwig Schroedinger in an epic battle in the skies above the ruined city. Nevertheless, the Winter Corps continued onwards with the artillery batteries of Marshal Zhukov, until General Winter himself raised the Soviet flag above the Reichstag of Berlin.

IN SOVIET RUSSIA...

After World War Two and the Death of Stalin, the Winter Corps received a lack of funding from the Khrushchev government, which saw it as the legacy of a dark past. Most of its Soviet Socialist Sorcerers were forced to leave due to lack of payment - only a select few, the Corps' best, remained. However, they were seen again in the 60's, when the ancient arch-mage Koschei the Deathless froze all of Moscow into a deathly sleep, excepting the Winter Corps, who were protected by the wards on their headquarters.

General Winter led the Corps to Koschei, who was floating above Red Square, and attracted his attention with a shot of his pistol. The result was a battle royale, Soviet Socialist Sorcery battling eldritch, antediluvian magic in a tremendous show of power.

Koschei gained the upper hand, but General Winter had an ace up his sleeve. He showed Koschei his pistol, laughing at him, which drove Koschei into a rage, ranting madly about how he had seen all things and the Winter Corps could not hope to win. At this, General Winter simply fired his gun into Koschei's face, the anti-metahuman, enchanted slug of pure Communism mowing him down with ease. Though it was a mere defeat for Koschei, it has angered him immensely and he has sworn revenge against the Winter Corps to this day.

Seeing the need for a Russian corps of metahumans, Krushchev officially shut the Winter Corps down, but they still recieved the funding of the government, even if they were out of the public eye.

In the 70's, the Winter Corps were involved in the Siege of Warsaw following an Austerlitz-induced rebellion, and fought desperately against the baying mobs of revolutionaries crying for their blood. Although they were too late to interfere in Jason Goldstein's climactic battle with Austerlitz, they ensured, some say, that he was not overwhelmed by the sheer mass of enemies attacking him before he reached Austerlitz' stronghold.

In the 80's they fought in Afghanistan, the Winter Corps crushing many militant cells with the strength of their sorcery and their metahuman might. But in the 90's, they struggled to get by, with many of their Soviet Socialist Sorcerers (particularly the weaker ones) losing their powers at the shock of the Soviet Union's fall.

However, they endured, with new members in the 2000s owing to the many threats Mother Russia faced - renegades like the Red Chord and the organisation Crimson Dawn, madmen like Austerlitz and the Avenging Aryan, and many other threats. Today, they exist in the open once again, as the Winter Corps, defenders of the Motherland from the innumerable threats it faces.

CURRENT MEMBERS

General Winter

General Winter is the leader of the team, even though he is not actually a General any more. His powers are strong - weather control, manipulation of ice, snow and frost, and other things - but his control of the weather only works on Russian soil, as he is empowered by the elemental spirit of the Russian winter to defend the Russian nation. However, he can still manipulate pre-existing ice, and retains his superhuman strength, durability and stamina when outside Russia. His name is Vladimir Chervenkov, and he is the oldest member of the team, having fought in WW2.

Firebird

Otherwise known as Katerina Aleksandrina, Firebird is a Soviet Socialist Sorcerer, young and taught by a now-retired Soviet Socialist Sorcerer who retained his powers following the collapse of Soviet Russia. She has a pet phoenix nicknamed Sparks, and is specialised in fire spells, with a hot-blooded personality. She's very much the 'brains' of the team, intelligent and cunning in battle. Her most notable feat is dropping a decommissioned satellite on a vampire's castle, annihilating it in a massive explosion.

Tunguska

Tunguska, otherwise known as Boris Leonid, can project rays of cosmic energy from his hands, devastating the enemy. He can also use this unusual energy to create shields of force to protect himself and his team-mates. His powers seem to fluctuate depending on his mood, and it can be hard to predict how he will use them - as such he is treated as something of a loose cannon.

The Red Star

Mikhail Rodion, also known as the Red Star, has little in the way of sorcery or metatalents, but his Spetznaz training and expertise make up for it, and he is seemingly always prepared for whatever mission the Winter Corps must perform. For this reason, he is the deputy leader of the team, beneath General Winter. He is a new member, having joined in the 1990's when his superiors saw that his exceptional skill might be better applied to aiding the Winter Corps.

Last edited by Czernobog on Sat Nov 28, 2009 4:06 pm, edited 4 times in total.

You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

Amyway, I actually can't really find anything enormously objectionable or objectively bad in this article at all and unless I missed something very bloody significant... I actually think it's the least objectionable of the articles you've made so far. I actually think its pretty, uh, good. You've improved. Good job. The article passes. Decent length, decent background, decent characters so far.

Where's the thumbs up smiley?

Now, just for some teeny-tiny course corrections. Teeny-tiny.

Most significant:

#1

Vagrant Orpheus wrote:

However, they endured, with new members in the 2000s owing to the many threats Mother Russia faced - renegades like the Red Chord and the Communist Manifester

FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

The Communist Manifester isn't a renegade. Canonically, the Communist Manifester has been one of the front-line big name Soviet/Russian superhero for decades and despite the fall of the USSR and its effects on his superpowers, he remains staunchly loyal to Mother Russia. I've actually talked to Orph about how the Communist Manifester can actually be a force of humanitarian Internationalism worldwide - and how he serves as a support structure for many of the post-Soviet states and former WARPAC countries, like Cuba. Orph also has in mind making him a crucial Russian military/government figure since during the Metahuman Arms Race, he actually was a key government strategic asset.

So... replace Manifester with Crimson Dawn of something.

#2

I don't know how about this Koschei guy freezing all of Moscow and its denizens or something. That would've brought down all sorts of nasty Soviet shit on Koschei, not just the Winter guys.

How aged is General Winter? It would be cool to see him as a rather old man, walking with a cane or something, yet being able to summon all sorts of frostbitten elemental powers.

Also, is the Corps named after him?

#5

Here are Orph's actual thoughts on the matter:

Just Dom *Gently molesting your peers, is all part and parcel of your teenage years * says:
Huh, he's... improving.
Just Dom *Gently molesting your peers, is all part and parcel of your teenage years * says:
Wait, whut?
Booboo says:
Yeah
Booboo says:
The Manifester is not a renegade
Just Dom *Gently molesting your peers, is all part and parcel of your teenage years * says:
However, they endured, with new members in the 2000s owing to the many threats Mother Russia faced - renegades like the Red Chord and the Communist Manifester
Just Dom *Gently molesting your peers, is all part and parcel of your teenage years * says:
FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Just Dom *Gently molesting your peers, is all part and parcel of your teenage years * says:
As I said, he's actually improved significantly
Just Dom *Gently molesting your peers, is all part and parcel of your teenage years * says:
I don't really like the Winter Corps having existed for that long, but hey

Orph actually thinks its okay.

#6

I dunno about Winter waving the flag at the Reichstag. Since the whole Russian Soldier Waves Flag at the Reichstag is really a monumental moment in history and, uh, maybe it should be left alone.

"Sometimes Shroomy I wonder if your imagination actually counts as some sort of war crime." - FROD

Hmm...the idea of those shells being made from solidified Communism is intriguing. As for the Winter Corps defeating Koschei, they were simply the first on the scene due to the fact that they weren't asleep.

#4

How aged is General Winter? It would be cool to see him as a rather old man, walking with a cane or something, yet being able to summon all sorts of frostbitten elemental powers.

Also, is the Corps named after him?

The Corps isn't named after General Winter. As for his age, I would say that he's in his late 70's, but he's still strong, owing to his superhuman strength, durability and stamina.

You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.

Kamin997 wrote:Hmm...the idea of those shells being made from solidified Communism is intriguing.

The Communist Manifester's entire shtick is drawing on world communism like a giant Green Lantern battery of red commie goodness and manifesting it into solid objects to ruin people's shit with.

As for the Winter Corps defeating Koschei, they were simply the first on the scene due to the fact that they weren't asleep.

Yah. I just thought the whole sticking a whole capital into the freezer is kind of, uh, cliche'd.

The Corps isn't named after General Winter. As for his age, I would say that he's in his late 70's, but he's still strong, owing to his superhuman strength, durability and stamina.

Maybe he walks on a cane because despite his strength, durability and stamina, in the past he would've had to endure a shitload of fights against nasties and it ends up giving him a limp or something in his leg and he walks with a cane and that makes people think he's all weak, before he ends up smashing their powerclaws/wizard wands/swords to pieces with his old man cane?

"Sometimes Shroomy I wonder if your imagination actually counts as some sort of war crime." - FROD

Kamin997 wrote:Hmm...the idea of those shells being made from solidified Communism is intriguing.

The Communist Manifester's entire shtick is drawing on world communism like a giant Green Lantern battery of red commie goodness and manifesting it into solid objects to ruin people's shit with.

I think I'll use the idea for General Winter.

As for the Winter Corps defeating Koschei, they were simply the first on the scene due to the fact that they weren't asleep.

Yah. I just thought the whole sticking a whole capital into the freezer is kind of, uh, cliche'd.

Yes, it's clichéd, but I like it.

The Corps isn't named after General Winter. As for his age, I would say that he's in his late 70's, but he's still strong, owing to his superhuman strength, durability and stamina.

Maybe he walks on a cane because despite his strength, durability and stamina, in the past he would've had to endure a shitload of fights against nasties and it ends up giving him a limp or something in his leg and he walks with a cane and that makes people think he's all weak, before he ends up smashing their powerclaws/wizard wands/swords to pieces with his old man cane?

Yes. That's awesome.

You have ruled this galaxy for ten thousand years.
You have little of account to show for your efforts.
Order. Unity. Obedience.
We taught the galaxy these things.